Gin-brush.



S. D. MURRAY.

GIN BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. b, 1914'.

11,236,841 Patented 7,1917.

2 SHE HEET 1.

Wifizasaes M S. D. MURRAY.

em BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 1914.-

STEPHEN n. MURRAY, or DALLAS, rnxns.

GIN-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

Application filed September 5, 1914. Serial No. 860,445.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Im provements in Gin-Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotatable brushes or brush cylinders for cotton gins.

Cotton gin brushes or brush cylinders as heretofore constructed were not sufficiently practical to adapt them to quick and ready removal from and replacement of the brush sticks in the cylinders for the renewal or replacement of the brushing material or bristles without material damage to the parts, and as a consequence inconvenience and material expense have resulted in the practice necessary in removing and replacing brush sticks in the well known brush cylinders as commonly used in the art of ginning. The present invention has been devised to overcome, in a simple and effective manner, the disadvantages heretofore encountered in ready removal and replacement of brush sticks of brush cylinders for cotton gins. The brush cylinder embodying the features of the present invention has the brush sticks loosely placed in the sockets in the heads or disks and intermediate support ing members by endwise movement of the brush sticks thereinto, and when all of the sticks are properly placed in the sockets either one or both of the opposite end heads of the brush cylinder are slightly rotated upon the shaft to a degree suflicient to tighten all thesticks, it being understood that when one head is used to tighten the brush sticks by slight rotation thereof, the other head remains fixed; or if the two heads are used for the same purpose they are slightly rotated in opposite directions. After the sticks are twisted relatively to the brush cylinder body the end head or heads are securely fastened to the shaft and the rush sticks are thereby positively maintained tight in their sockets. The sockets, which act as seats for the brush sticks, are constructed to prevent radial displacement of the sticks, and the necessary tightness of the sticks in their respective sockets is effected solely by twisting and torsionally bending the sticks through the operation of the end head or heads, and by this means all of the brush sticks of the cylinder are simultaneously and automatically fastened in their supporting means by a single operation or slight rotation of the end head or heads of the cylinder, and when the sticks have been properly twisted or torsionally bent the head or heads are reliably secured to the shaft to hold the sticks against movement from their locked positions.

N0 fastening devices are used to penetrate or pass through the sticks, and the complement of supports or supporting members embodied in the cylinderare wholly devoid of extraneous or independent devices, loose parts, or adjusting means to engage the sticks, and therefore the sticks are not in the least structurally weakened. By this means the brush cylinder organization is practically adapted to removal and replacement of the sticks by the gin operator without injury to the sticks and without removing the brush cylinder out of its place in the gin. With this organization the service or utility of the brushing material or bristles may be doubled, because when the bristles are worn at places opposite the gin saws the sticks may be readily loosened and each moved endwise in its supports for bringing unworn bristles in contact with the ginning teeth, each alternate stick being moved in the opposite direction, and after all the sticks have been thus adjusted they may be again positively secured as hereinbefore specified. When the sticks need to be removed for complete renewal of the brush material or bristles it is only necessary to loosen simple fastening devices in the end heads of the cylinder and slightly rotate either one or both of the heads in a direction to release the sticks and permit the latter to be withdrawn endwise out of the notches and sent to the factory for refilling with new bristles.

Other structural features and advantages will be hereinafter specified, and in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the improved brush cylinder is illustrated for the purpose of disclosing one practical brush cylinder organization, but it will be understood that changes will be adopted at will within the scope of the invention, and though a very simple organization is presented in the drawings, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the exact construction shown and hereinafter described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is, a plan view of a brush cy*l 1n-. der embodying the features of the invention and showing one brush stick without the brush material in full and dotted lines to illustrate the manner of applying and securing each stick and the position it occupies when secured.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a portion .of one of the brush stick supports or members enlarged, the sticks as illustrated by Fig. 1 being shown in end elevation to indicate their positions prior to bending or torsionally twisting the same.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a single stick after it is bent and the position thereof relatively to the cylinder body.

Fig. 4: is a detail top plan view of a portion of the single stick shown by Fig. 1 and a part of the support and cylindrical body or sections, illustrating the stick before it is bent.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the improved brush cylinder and brush sticks.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the improved cylinder.

Fig. 7 is a tranverse vertical section taken inthe plane of the line 77, Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section 7 taken in the plane of the line 8-8, Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail section of a portion of one end of the cylinder. v a

The numeral 5 designates end supports or heads, between which at regular intervals a plurality of supports or supporting members 6 is arranged. A shaft 7 extends centrally through the end supports or heads 5 and the intermediate supports or members 6, all of the supports being loose on the said shaft. The intermediate heads 6 are of spider form, as illustrated by Fig. 8, and the end heads 5 are closed so as to exclude the dust from the interior of the cylinder, and all of the heads have peripheral flanges 8, the flanges 8 of the heads 5 extending inwardly from the latter heads and the similar flanges of the intermediate supports 6 extending in both directions, and engaging these flanges are sheet metal housing or cylindrical sections 9. The cylindrical housing or sections 9 loosely engage the flanges 8 so that the heads or supports 5 and the supports 6 may be rotated or revolved relatively to the shaft 7 when the I heads 5 are free for such movement, in a ancing the cylinder as may be found necessary. A spider 13 is secured to the shaft 7 by a key 14: adjacent to the inner side of each end head or support 5, said spiders being preferably of the form illustrated by Fig. 7 and embodying a hub 1 1 with diametrically opposed arms or radial members 15 which converge toward their outer ends and are terminally formed with openings 16, one in each. Ineach end head or support 5, opposed segmental slots 17 are formed and concentric with relation to the shaft 7 or are struck from the center of each head, said segmental slots being of suitable length or of such extent as to permit the heads to be turned sufficiently to bend the brush sticks in accordance with the features of this invention. The arms or members 15 are at an angle to the hub 14, and the openings therein are in alinement with the slots 17, and extending through the said slots 17 and engaging the openings 16 are screw-bolts 18 having their heads 19 outermost and adapted to bear against rims 20 around the slots 17. The slots 17 have smooth walls and are slightly wider than the diameter of the bolts or fastening devices 18, as clearly shown by Fig. 9, the inner extremities of the said bolts 18 being screw-threaded to positively engage the openings 16 of the arms or members 15 and whereby either one or both of the heads 5 may be fixed or positively secured in adjusted position. Between the arms 15 and hub 14 and each head 5 a guard plate or disk 21 is mounted and has openings 22 therein to permit the bolts or fastenings 18 to pass therethrough. The guard or disk 21 is of such diameter as to extend over the slots 17 in the head 5, and said guard pre- 105 vents dust or dirt from entering through the slots 17 into the interior of the cylinder, thereby forming a dust-proof cylinder. It

is obvious that if the slots 17 had no cover means, dust and dirt could readily pass 110 therethrough and accumulate in the cylinder, with material disadvantage, particularly in throwing said cylinder out of balance when a quantity of dusty material accumulated therein.

The brush sticks 23 are constructed of any suitable bendable material, preferably wood, and have brushes 24.- proj ecting therefrom in the usual manner. The brush sticks 23 are of the same contour in cross-section as the 120 inner contour of the sockets or seats 10 and are of the usual length or extend fully from end to end of the cylinder.. Therefore, each brush stick is substantially rectangular with inwardly beveled outer edges 25 to fit loosely 125 in the sockets or seats 10.

In assembling the parts of the brush the intermediate members 6 are first fitted over the shaft 7 and then the spiders 13 are applied to the shaft and the end head o 1 ports 5 next placed in position on the shaft. The cylinders 9 are regularly disposed between the intermediate supports 6 as the latter are applied and also between the said intermediate supports and the end heads 5, and it will be seen that no fastening means are necessary for the cylinders or cylindrical sections 9 constituting the housing means of the cylinder, for the reason that the flanges 8 and the brush sticks maintain the said cylindrical Sections in place and prevent them from having longitudinal or radial movement with relation to the shaft 7. The cylindrical sections 9 also operate to maintain the intermediate supports 6 at regular spaced intervals relatively to the shaft 7, and after the end heads, interme diate supports and the cylindrical sections 9 constituting the housing of the cylinder have been assembled,the brush sticks 23 are then inserted in the sockets or seats 10 of all of the supports and heads, said brush sticks being inserted longitudinally through the sockets or seats from one end of the cylinder, and primarily the brush sticks are longitudinally straight, as shown by Fig. 1. As heretofore indicated, the brush sticks are locked or secured in their sockets or seats and to the brush cylinder by a partial rotation of either one or both of the heads 5, but for all practical purposes and to facilitate the securement of the brush sticks and minimize the number of operatives required to secure the brush sticks in place it is only necessary to have one head partially rotate-d, the other end head being fixed, as for instance the end head at the left of Fig. 1. The opposite end head is then loosened sufficiently to permit it to turn by slackening or loosening the bolts 18, and by applying a suitable spanner or analogous device to the loosened end head 5 and rotating or partially rotating said end head around the shaft 7 all of the brush sticks 23 will be simultaneously and equally given a torsional twist, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then the sticks are tightened by moving the head 5, the latter is locked or secured against movement by tightening the bolts 18. lVhen the sticks are twisted and bent by the movement of the one head 5, all of the intermediate supports 6 simultaneously move in consonance with or equal to the movement of the brush sticks in engagement therewith. The brush sticks are very securely locked or held in immovable engagement with the supporting members and end heads when the adjusting head is fastened or held against return movement by the fastenings or bolts 18 when the latter are tightened and the sticks are securely held against movement in any direction relatively to the cylinder. When it is desired to remove the brush sticks the fastenings or bolts 18 are loosened and the head, which has been adjusted at one end, is rotated in a reverse direction so as to bring the sticks upwardly to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the natural resiliency or spring of the sticks assisting materially in restoring them to normally straight position. The brush sticks may then be readily withdrawn from the sockets or seats 10 without dismembering the entire brush Cylinder, and said brush sticks may be replaced by other similar sticks, or the sticks removed may have the brush stock or mate rial renewed therein and the same sticks afterward reset, as hereinbefore explained. It will be understood that the proportions of the cylinder as well as the details of con struction may be modified at will without departing from the spirit of the invention. The securement of the brush sticks in the manner hereinbefore explained materially reduces the cost of brush cylinder construction by the elemination from all of the sockets or seats of independent fastening devices, the application of which have heretofore been a large item of cost in gin brush construction. Furthermore, the application of the brush sticks to and their removal from the cylinder can be more expeditiously effected by the means for securing the brush sticks in accordance with the features of this invention, and there are no loose or minor parts to become loose, worn or broken, and any one will be able to apply and remove the brush sticks. When desired the brush sticks 23 may be slightly shifted longitudinally to bring different portions of the brush material or stock thereof into engaging position relatively to the saws, and by such means the brush material or stock will be more economically used.

hat is claimed is:

1. A brush cylinder and brush sticks displaceably mounted therein, the brush cylinder having brush stick holding means normally operative to laterally bend and lock the brush sticks against movement.

2. A brush cylinder having brush stick holding means and sticks removable therefrom when straight, and means for impart ing torsional bends to the sticks to lock them against movement on the cylinder.

3. A brush cylinder having supporting means for loosely and removably holding brush sticks therein, the said means being normally operative to laterally bend and lock the brush sticks against movement longitudinally of the cylinder.

4. A brush cylinder having brush stick bodily movable elements having sockets and operable to impart diagonal positions to the sticks relatively to the cylinder and causing the sticks to engage diagonally opposite portions of the sockets to produce a bite on the sticks.

5. A brush cylinder having loose brush stick supporting means and brush sticks removably mounted therein, the brush the brush sticks being locked against movement in the sockets by simultaneously turning either one or both of the heads and the supporting members, and means for locking the heads and supporting members against movement after adjustment.

8. A brush cylinder having heads and intermediate supporting members all provided with peripheral sockets, the heads havin se mental slots therein 0 lindrical housings between the supporting members and between the latter and the heads, a shaft on which the heads and supporting members are loosely mounted, means on opposite extremities of the shaft keyed to the latter and to which the heads are adapted to be fastened, brush sticks primarily loosely and withdrawably mounted in the sockets, the sticks being locked by simultaneously turning either one or both heads and the supporting members on the shaft and laterally bending the sticks relatively to the cylinder, and fastening means engaging the slots in the heads and the means keyed to the shaft for locking the heads and supporting members against movement.

9. A brush cylinder having heads and intermediate supporting members all provided with peripheral sockets, the heads having segmental slots therein, cylindrical housings between the supporting members and between the latter and the heads, a shaft on which the heads and supporting members are loosely mounted, means on opposite extremities of the shaft keyed to the latter and to which the heads are adapted to be fastened, brush sticks primarily loosely and withdrawably mounted in the sockets, the sticks being locked by simultaneously turning either one or both heads and the supporting members on the shaft and laterally bending the sticks relatively to the cylinder, guard disks secured to said means keyed to the shaft for closing the segmental slots of the heads, and fastening means engaging the slots in the heads and the means keyed to the shaft for locking the heads and supporting members against movement.

10. A brush cylinder having movable brush stick holding means, brush sticks primarily loosely mounted in said holding means, and

means for deflecting the holding means and of alinement relatively to each other to clamp and prevent longitudinal displacement of the sticks, and means for locking the sockets in deflected positions.

12. A brush cylinder having sockets shiftable around the cylinder, brush sticks mounted in the sockets and held against radial displacement from the latter, the

sticks being normally loose for longitudinal movement in the sockets, and means for moving the sockets to dispose the walls thereof out of alinement to bind upon and hold the sticks against longitudinal movement in the sockets by causing diagonally opposite corners of the socket walls to bite against opposite portions of the sticks.

13. A brush cylinder having rotatable brush stick holding sockets, brush sticks mounted in the sockets and held against radial displacement therefrom, the sockets being partially rotated to deflect the socket walls out of alinement and cause said walls to clamp against opposite portions of the sticks and prevent longitudinal movement of said sticks, and means for locking the sockets in deflected positions. 14;. A brush cylinder having brush sticks normally loose and withdrawable therefrom and locked against movement on the cylinder by laterally bending the sticks relatively to the latter, and means for maintaining the sticks in their bent locked condition.

15. A brush cylinder having means normally loose in relation thereto, and brush sticks engaged by and held against radial displacement from said means, the latter being shifted by bending the sticks to prevent longitudinal movement of the sticks, a part of said means being provided with other means to secure the same and all of the sticks to maintain the sticks in locked positions.

16. In a brush cylinder, a shaft, rotatable heads and intermediate supports loosely mounted on the shaft, the heads having segmental slots therein, and means secured to the shaft carrying fastening devices to engage the slots and secure the heads against movement.

17. In a brush cylinder, a shaft, heads and intermediate supports movably mounted on theshaft and having sockets, the heads having opposite segmental slots therein, brush sticks longitudinally inserted within the sockets and held against radial displacement by the latter, and means keyed to the shaft and engaging the segmental slots to secure the heads against movement, the heads being movable to impart a torsional twist to the brush sticks.

18. In a brush cylinder, a shaft, end heads and intermediate supports loosely mounted on the shaft and provided with brush holding sockets, the end heads having segmental slots therein, brush sticks longitudinally inserted in the sockets of the heads and intermediate supports and held against radial displacement by the sockets, spiders having hubs secured to the shaft and provided with radial arms, and fastening devices engaging the outer ends of the arms of the spiders and the segmental slots of the heads, the heads being movable to impart a torsional twist to the brush sticks and secured in their adjusted positions by the said fastening devlces.

19. A brush cylinder comprising means for holding brush sticks and including a normally movable end-head, a shaft on which said head is mounted, and a complemental member secured to the shaft adjacent to the end head, the end-head being operative to laterally deflect and lock the brush sticks and provided with means for securing it to the complemental member to prevent movement thereof when the brush sticks have been locked.

20. A brush cylinder comprising a shaft, means on the shaft including a rotatable end-head for engaging and holding brush sticks in normally loose condition, and a complemental member secured to the shaft, the end-head being operative to bend and lock the brush sticks and provided with means to engage the said member and lock the end-head against movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEPHEN D. MURRAY. Witnesses:

L. R. CALLAWAY, JOHN R. BANISTER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

